>> the american who died fighting along side the islamic state.

>> there have been several developments today regarding the fight against islamic state group and syria and iraq. but we begin with the words of a worried mother. shirley sotloff, the mother of the journalist being held by the islamic state group. who has threatened to kill him because of the airstrikes in iraq. >> i'm sending this message to you, the caliph of the islamic state. i'm shirley sotloff. my son stephen is in your hands. stephen is a journalist who travels to the middle east to cover the suffering of the muslims at the hands of terrorists. he is an honorable and he alwaysalways tried to help the

weak. we have not seen him in over a year and we miss him very much. we want to see him home safe and sound and to hug him. since his capture i've learned about islam. i have learned that islam teaches that no individual should be held for th responsible for the sins of others. stephen has no responsibility for the actions of others. i ask you to please release my child. as a mother i ask the justice to be merciful and not punish my son over matters he has no control over. i ask you to use your authority to spare his life and to follow the example set by the prophet mohammed, who protected people of the book. i want what every mother wants to, live to see her children's children. i plead with you to grant me

this. >> now, all of this on the day that another american journalist, this one freed, spoke out. curtis was held for 22 months. he arrived in the u.s. yesterday, and now is resting at home with his family. today he thanked those who helped free him. >> in the days following my release on sunday i have learned bit by bit that there have been literally hundreds of people brave, determined, big-hearted people all over the world working for my release. they've been working for two years on this. i had no idea when i was imprison, i had no idea that so much effort was expended on my behalf. movying found out i'm overwhelmed with emotion. and i'm overwhelmed with emotion that total strangers come up to me and say, we're glad you're back. glad you're safe.

glad to see you. i remember how go th the american people are, and to all those people i say a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart. >> he'll have more to say after he spends some time bonding with his mother. >> fighting between syrian rebels and forces spilling over israel. an israeli officer was wounded by stray gunfire as they fired back on two syrian army posts. there is a new report out of the united nations accusing syrias war of world crimes. the 35-page report details the use of chemical weapons, torture and public executions. john terrett joins us live with more. tell us about the grizzly

details inside this report. >> well, it is a grizzly report, one of the grizzliests that i've ever read. public executions, amputations, mock executions are a regular report. from the u.n. panel they say the world has completely failed to protect innocent bystanders caught up in the syrian civil war fight. >> disturbing findings. in this report there is an account of large training camps where children, mostly boys, from the age of 14, are recruited and trained to fight in the ranks along with adults. >> and the u.n. panel accuses the syrian government of using weapons on a regular basis against its own people. >> crimes are committed each day

from all parties an. >> now the investigators on the panel were never granted access to syria itself, but they insist the only way to end the conflict now is for the security council in new york, which is deadlocked when it comes to syria to refer the syrian war crimes issued. >> another development coming out of syria, an american fighting for the islamic state group is dead. they're shocked an surprised. tell us more about that. >> shocked and surprised is the best way to put this. this is douglas macarthur mccain said they cannot believe that the man they know for his love of rap music and basketball has died last weekend facing the islamic state group in syria. >> 33-year-old douglas m mcarthur mccain went to san

diego for college. it's unclear how he ended up fighting for the islamic state group in syria. he liked rap music and basketball. his uncle reportedly said his nephew became radicalized after converting to the muslim face. a picture shows the flack of the he's lacki islamic state. his family was notified by the state department that he died over the weekend in syria. >> when i see him and here him speak, i didn't think that was really my cousin. that's why i said i felt like he mut must have lost his identify because all of this is not him. >> reporter: dozens have been recruited to fight for the islamic state.

>> this is one of the greatest point we have at this time is they could return back to the united states and pose a threat. >> living in the west, i know the depression. >> he is not the first american killed in syria. in may the white house confirmed the death of an american who joined the al nusra front. president obama spoke about the growing threat that the islamic state poses saying that america doesn't federal court. it's reach is long and patient. >> it won't be easy and it won't be quick. but tyrants and murderers before him should recognize that that hateful vision is no match for

the strings and hopes of people who stand together. it's the birth right of every human being. >> the president giving a statement that america's memory is long and very patient. >> as you pointed out, today general lloyd austin head of central command is in baghdad. he's there to speak with the prime minister, and that prime minister is facing problems of his blown not far from here iraq's new crime. ster is sitting done it political leaders to not not just form a new government but grow on what that government should do. he said by today they will move

on. they have a stripped down cabinet of 20 posts over the next two weeks, but it's not an easy task. the stakes have never been higher. outgoing prime minister nouri al-maliki delivered his weekly address just a few hours ago saying that u.s. vice president joe biden should not try to fragment the country. he's referring to comments made some time ago that iraq might eventually turn into separate regions. he said that the united states should try to rain in instead of just divide it. >> in began da after two months of fighting israel and gaza

arres. >> they are the symbols of the dignity of our people and nation. salute to the martyrs and to those who are injured, and those who are behind bars in israeli prisons, and those who are still there. >> palestinians are claiming victory amid the iranian. ist mates that it will cost billions of dollars to repair that damage. >> the morning after peace returned here the dust was literally settling.

1.8million gazaens are now surveying the worst war damage they've seen. it will take billions of dollars. it should be a boom time for a cement factory, but his business was badly hit. >> first of all we have to pre-build our factories before we can contribute to reconstruction. we're waiting for openings to rehope. this will allow us to get cement and other materials. >> similar measures were promised in the 2012 cease-fire, they were rarely far reaching enough to make construction in gaza any easier. money from the international community will be needed to rebuilding gaza.

but this won't be the first time. again and again it is bombed israel. this was a multi million dollar community for the international community beyond that was the runway. it opened in 1998, but it was only opened for a few years before it was bombed by the israelis and it's never been functional since. three times over the last six years gaza has made reconstruction-after conflict. this time said the u.n. is the last time. >> etime. >> we're augus all tired. and this would be the last time that we are repairing gaza, and even before the war there wer.

they are without homes and water. >> people in gaza will end up rebuilding their lives from scratch many more times. jane ferguson, al jazeera. gaza. >> the conflict in gaza also taking its toll on israel. jackie roland is in jerusalem with more on the cost of war there. >> a shopping maul close to the stockholde. >> i'm not afraid because i love to travel.

>> these visitors bring in vital foreign currency. confidence among tourists and investors is affected by sentiment. even if the immediate danger has passed, the threat will stay away and that could effect jeremy not only this year but for next. tourism is the life blood of the community fo. for most tourists war is the major turn off. this month it has been completely did. >> israelis have taken stock of what's been achieved after 50 days of conflict. the images of killing and

destruction from the gaza strip has tarnished the country's reputation. it leads to bigger issues. >> israel came out as the goliath as the superpower, if you like, an elephant that is fighting fly and not succeeding. >> israeli's satisfaction with its prime minister has drop dramatically. on july 23rd, 82% were satisfied with his performance. august 25th, 38% were satisfied. israeli and palestinian negotiators will soon have to grapple with the biggest use of the cease-fire does not address.

if they fail to agree many feel that the days will be short lives. >> fears are rifing that a new jersey student may have been kidnapped. they met a friend kid snapped. it's the same area where palestinian police found a teen. so far there is no word about that missing student. ukraine security chief saying a convoy of trucks and weapons have entered ukraine to arm the rebels. yesterday they said they captu captured russian soldiers. this comes as vladimir putin meeting with ukraine's meeting petro poroshenko, putin denies any involvement in the fight. >> we in russia cannot talk about any conditions about the

cease-fire. any agreement between kiev and donetsk, luhansk. this is not our business. this is ukraine's business. we can only create an atmosphere of trust and the necessary process. we talked about it. >> rebel fighters advanced forcing their way near the russian border. this is the first time that they found forced many resident to flee. more than 150 ukrainians have been displaced. a family outing at an arizona shooting range surgeons tragic as a nine-year-old firing an uzi loses control.

>> a plane has crashed in virginia. the crew was said to be on a training mission. the air force is investigating no word on the pilot but the

massachusetts national guard said he made an emergency call right before radio contact was lost. there are no reports of injuries on the ground. well, pink shorts, sneakers and an uzi machine gun, now nine years old, she is the subject of the latest controversy involving guns. the man teaching her to shoot is dead. that's where the controversy begins. >> on vacation with her parents who are shooting this cell phone video, and an unidentified girl in pink shorts and sneakers was getting a lesson of how to fire an uzi machine gut. initially she fired one shot but then he tells her to go full automatic. the recoil was too strong for the girl, causing the weapon to fear to the west and shoot him in the head multiple times. the 39-year-old die later that evening from his wounds. the innocent happened.

>> it's like losing a brother. these aren't employees or associates of ours. these are family. we're all family. >> an uzi is a powerful weapon, capable of firing 1700 rounds per minute. it can cause a violent recoil that a nearby begun owner said that novices may not be able to handle. >> when the blast is pushing here and your hand is down here, it causes the gun to rotate. >> in 2008 an eight-year-old boy excellently shot himself in the head at a gun show after an uzi he was firing recoiled. the gun honer was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in that case. and in this case no charge will be filed because it is legal. why is it okay for a nine-year-old to handle an uzi.

>> well, a nine-year-old gets an uzi in her hands. the criteria is eight years old. we instruct kids as young as five with rifles. they don't handle firearms but they're under the supervision of their parents and our range masters. >> a person must be 18 to carry a firearm unless accompanied by a parent or qualified shooting instruction, both of which were the case when the young lady fired that fatal shot. john henry smith, al jazeera. >> two influential voices bill and melinda gates donating to a grou anti-gun donation.

the move was a surprise as the two usually stay out of political debates. it was a surprising move but details are ahead.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. the mother of an american journalist held captive by the islamic state group is pleading for his release. he was kidnapped after he crossed syria through turkey. another journalist is speaking out. peter theo curtis is back home and speaking out for the first time. he thanked those who helped gain his release. near thow well take a look at this video. it proves what meteorologists have been warning about all summer. turn around, don't drown.

an inch and a half of rain fell on tucson, arizona. flash flooding followed. several drivers were stranded. police and firefighters rushing downtown. more than a dozen people were stuck in their cars. no injuries were reported. and let's go to dave warren, sometimes a picture is worth an oh thousand words. you cannot go through floodwaters in a car or motorcycle. >> meteorologist: those are guides word to think about forever. you'll see scenes like this repeat over and over. it's a little bit of rain in such a short period of time. the soil does not absorb the rain, and in an hour you see flash flooding. that was the storm. the spin and all this rain coming down in the same area. that's what caused the flash flood with the storm moving out. this is waves along the pacific coast thanks to hurricane marie weakening, and it will continue to weaken. kicking up the surf along california. you see the waves starting to pick up there.

those orange cones. they put them in place to keep people back from the shore. that's what we're talking about there at the pacific. that's the storm. and here's a repeat of this in the atlantic. here's hurricane cristobal. turning to the north, northeast, it's creating rough current and rip currents. these advisories go from south carolina, new jersey, new york, and new england. a few places are not even letting people in the ocean which is a shame. when you have storm off the coast you see this rough surf and that will continue. here's turn to the northeast. this is helping the storm steer away from land. the heat and humidity is picking

up again today. another ho hot and humid day. you get high humidity with these temperatures, and the dewpoints to measure that moisture in the air. it's oppressive and that reduces the body's ability to cool itself. that's what is so dangerous here. high heat and high humidity, and the severe weather that could be developing in parts of nebraska with fast flooding and strong storm. >> in the meantime, surfers love storms. >> they do love it. >> thank you very much. in massachusetts happy ending to a story that had a tragic beginning. james seriously injured in the boston marathon bombing then met the love of his life during weeks of rehab. he is the patient. she is the nurse. they got married and the city made it an affair to remember, donating everything including the dress, the flowers, the photographer, those pictures you see here as well as the food. we want to thank you for

watching al jazeera america. "fault line," arming america's police, is next. you can go to www.aljazeera.com where the news never stops. >> every day across america, military-style raids are taking place. local police dressed like soldiers break down doors in the hunt for drugs. >> this is not what we think of as police in a democratic society. this is way out of proportion.